Thread: Question for class- & array-savvy people

(please tell me if this doesn't make sense)
First, a little background
I initialized an array of classes using this:

Code:

Room roomArray[20][30];   //class declaration already done, dont worry 'bout that

Works great.

Then i created a function that initializes the elements with the values i give... like this...

Code:

 Room temp1(3, 5, false, true, false, true, "A Dirt Trail", "Very dusty");
 roomArray[3][5] = temp1;

 Room temp2(3, 6, false, false, false, true, "A Dirty Trail", "whatever");
 roomArray[3][6] = temp2;

1) Is there a way to initialize an element of the array without making that temp object?
I tried doing this...

Code:

roomArray[3][5](3, 5, false, true, false, true, "Dirty Trail", "blabla")  // doesn't work

2) Why doesn't that work?

Also, i can't initialize other elements without creating new temporary variables (e.g., Room temp1; Room temp2
Doing this will make the RAM needed to create all those Room objects double.
3) is there a better way?
(won't let me re-initialize the temp object like this..)

Code:

Room temp(arguments);
roomArray[3][5] = temp;

temp(new arguments);
roomArray[3][6] = temp;

can you elaborate on that? look's like a member function - but can't tell much from it

it is, a more complete example:

Code:

class Room
{
public:
   Room( );
   Room( char* name, int width, int length );
   ~Room( );

   bool setValues( char* name, int width, int length );

private:
   char* roomName;
   int roomWidth, roomLength;
};


bool Room::setValues( char* name, int width, int length )
{
   if( width <= 0 || height <= 0 )
   {
      return false;  //invalid room dimensions
   }
   else
   {
      roomWidth = width;
      roomLength = length;
   }

   roomName = new char[ strlen( name ) + 1 ];  //done :)
   roomName = name;
}

A similar system is used in MFC, except they call their functions Create( ... )

Ahh, I think the problem is solved. I used endo's first idea.. sorta.
Here's what I did, if anyone else has this problem

I created a member function similar to a constructor function, that takes arguments and sets the data members equal to them. Then when I want to create a room, this is what I do...

Code:

// a shortened version
Room::initialize(int px, int py, char* pdesc, char* pname)
{
 x = px; y = py; desc = pdesc; name = pname;
}

void createRooms()
{
 roomArray[3][4].initialize(3, 4, "Lots of Plants here...etc..", "Garden of Eatin\'");
 // more rooms, different arguments
}

So all I have to do is call createRooms(), and all the rooms are created

cause I want all the rooms to have different properties
i tried using the constructor but i would have had to made twice as many room objects as I actually would use

Code:

Room temp1(arguments);
roomArray[3][5] = temp1;

Room temp2(other arguments);
roomArray[3][6] = temp2;

don't want to create all those extra temp variables

also, i tried this, which didn't work

Code:

roomArray[3][6](arguments);

Is there a better way to do this by using the constructor? like..

Code:

roomArray[3][5].Room(arguments);  // Room is name of class

would that work?